Across Virginia, an increasing number of families are spending more of their income on rent and mortgage payments. Advocates and non-profits often talk about the need for more affordable housing. But how is that defined and measured? In our new series Where We Live, WCVE’s Catherine Komp has more.

WCVE News is launching an ongoing series on housing called Where We Live. We’ll be looking at a range of issues, from affordability and housing policy, to homelessness and segregation. Today we begin by examining how we perceive housing, as individuals and as part of the larger community. Virginia Currents Producer Catherine Komp has more.

Mecklenburg County schools may be one of the first to have new facilities built to complement Virginia’s new graduation requirements and what’s known as “Profile of a Graduate.” It’s a new approach to education with a goal to give students multiple paths to good paying jobs. WCVE’s Catherine Komp has more for Learning Curve.

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At Bluestone High School, students are working on a computer programming concept called looping.

Every ninety minutes, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash, according to federal data. That’s about 6,000 people a year. In Central Virginia, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is studying this issue and testing “crash avoidance” technologies that may lead to fewer deaths and injuries. WCVE’s Catherine Komp has more for Virginia Currents.

When buying a car, people across the country often turn to safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The research and testing that leads to those ratings happens in Central Virginia, at a sprawling, state-of-the-art facility near the Blue Ridge Mountains. In the first of a two-part series, WCVE’s Catherine Komp has more for Virginia Currents.

What can a community arts project reveal about the past and present? How can it spark dialogue and connect people in meaningful ways? The "Unsung Heroes" project in Richmond's Brookland Park explored those questions in a year-long initiative that brought together youth with the neighborhood's civil rights leaders. The exchanges led to Together We Rise, a community play that puts a spotlight on some of the residents who helped make history in 1960 and spent decades fighting for equality and justice. WCVE’s Catherine Komp has more for Virginia Currents.

When someone addicted to opioids or other drugs is finally ready to get help, knowing where to go or who to call can be an obstacle. A new resource, staffed by people in recovery themselves, aims to fill that need. WCVE’s Catherine Komp has more for Virginia Currents.